Health Officials Warn to Reduce Consumption of These Gulf Fish

Texas health authorities are expanding their warning that some people should not eat certain fish from the Gulf of Mexico.

The Texas Department of State Health Services says high levels of mercury mean women of childbearing age and children 12 and younger should eat no amount of species, including Blackfin tuna, blue marlin, king mackerel, wahoo, shark or swordfish.

The Department’s Chris Van Deusen says what’s new is the number of species covered by the warning.

“At least since the ‘90s, the mackerel have been the subject of an advisory," Van Deusen said. "As we’re able to do more testing, we’ve seen that this may be an issue in these species and wanted to get the word out.”

The Health Department also says older women and adult men should limit their consumption of these fish to no more than one or two meals a month.

Prolonged exposure to mercury can harm the central nervous system, particularly in children.

Related Content

A federal judge in New Orleans has approved a $1 billion civil settlement over its role in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill where 11 men died in April of 2010, the AP reports. As we reported back in January , federal authorities blamed Transocean "for acting negligently when the rig's crew proceeded with maneuvers to the deep-sea well in the face of clear danger signals that oil and natural gas were flowing." In total, Transocean has agreed to pay $1.4 billion in criminal and civil penalties....

Tens of thousands of protesters turned out on the National Mall Sunday to encourage President Obama to make good on his commitment to act on climate change. In his Inaugural address from outside the U.S. Capitol, the president said: "We will respond to the threat of climate change knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations." Just a few weeks later, next to the Washington Monument, Paul Birkeland was one of a couple dozen people holding a long white tube...